Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Lights Of Aurora Blog Tour + Giveaway

After the discovery of her ancient Maya
bloodlines, eighteen-year-old Ashley Coreandero is faced with a
daunting responsibility. She must protect the stone of Muuk’Ich while
Sarian, the underworld general, relentlessly drives her to the brink of
insanity.As the winter solstice approaches, it brings an onslaught of unexpected side effects.
Ashley must seize control over her supercharged powers, while dealing
with the overwhelming suspicion that her boyfriend, Arwan, is hiding a
secret so dark it could destroy them both.With the arrival of a
surprise houseguest, Ashley’s deepest fears about Arwan are confirmed.
And when middleworld deities intercede, the group of gifted Maya
descendants are confronted with hardships they never saw
coming—including an enemy more deadly than they have ever faced.Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned—but
when that woman has no soul and a taste for revenge, they will need the
powers of every surviving ancestor simply to stay alive..

“Rise
up and stop cowering on the ground.” Contessa didn’t even seem to notice
Sarian’s limp body, lying beside the altar.

Ashley glanced around frantically, searching for the beast.

“Child.”

Contessa’s cold tone brought Ashley’s focus back to the
woman—and the corpse. Sarian’s hand twitched. Ashley clenched the wound on her
gut. It would be her withering in the unforgiving sun if she didn’t heal
soon. The ache in her side grew stronger and morphed into sharp spikes of
agony.

Contessa stooped down, grabbed a handful of Ashley’s hair,
and yanked her head off the ground. With her lips beside Ashley’s ear, Contessa
whispered. “Hear me, child. I will not repeat myself twice.” Ashley swallowed,
then nodded. “There is no question you have done me a great justice today, and
although it pains me to admit it…” Her lips puckered as if something bitter coated
her tongue. “I am in your debt. Even the damned believe in honor.”

Ashley would take what she could get, as long as it meant
going home. “I want to get the hell out of here.” The blood from her wound had
formed a pool beneath her, but she couldn’t leave without taking back the one
thing she came for in the first place. Not after everything that had happened.
“But first I need to get Jayden’s soul back.”

“That’s right.” Contessa let go of Ashley’s hair. Her cheek
slapped against the ground and she let out a gasp. “And you still desire to
obtain it.”

Ashley’s rolled to the side and shifted to a sitting
position, leaning against a wall of stone. “Of course. But why do I get the
feeling you know something I don’t.”

“I know many things you do not.”

Everything about Contessa’s tone made Ashley uncomfortable.
She tried to ignore the pain radiating through her muscles. “Like?”

Contessa examined her face for a moment before she spoke. “I
shouldn’t have expected you to understand.” She sighed. “When you came to me for
help after your comrade’s passing, I found an opportunity I could not resist. I
am not the only enemy Sarian has made over the years.” She extended her hand to
the quiet realm. “You see how little regard he has for the souls of the
underworld. Many despise him, though none more than I.” Her hand dropped back
to her side, and her focus moved to the canary necklace still hanging around
Ashley’s neck. “When I approached him with your lock of hair, he was all too
eager to agree.”

Ashley clenched her jaw. Of course she would use Ashley’s
hair against her. But if Contessa lied about what she knew—or didn’t know—then
she could have lied about anything. “What about Jayden’s spirit?”

She delicately cupped Ashley’s chin with her fingers. Ashley
wanted to slap her hand away, but figured it better not to. “I knew who that
foolish boy was as soon as I laid eyes on him, and I knew very well he would
follow you here.”

“Jayden didn’t follow me. I followed him, in case you
already forgot.”

“I am not speaking of your fallen friend. I speak of the
other—the dark one. I had no doubt he would exact revenge, which is no fault of
mine, of course. The king couldn’t possibly hold me responsible for the
death of his general by—” She paused in consideration. “Well, the rest isn’t
important for now.” Contessa stood and pivoted away.

“Wait.” Ashley reached out for her, and her breath caught in
her throat. She swallowed, trying to block out the pain. “Are you talking about
Arwan? The one with dark hair?” She hadn’t seen him since they were submerged
in the portal, and the reality of what may have happened to him nearly broke
her. “He could be dead.”

“You may have thanked me if that were the case.” Contessa
trotted down the hundreds of narrow steps.

The roots above them writhed as Contessa continued down the
temple toward the miles of blood soaked ground. Ashley knew if she stayed where
she was, she’d die. Well, maybe not. But not dying here was worse than
dying in the middleworld. She’d have to make nicey-nice with Contessa before
she vanished—along with any chance of returning home.

Ashley ground her teeth and pushed to her feet, snatched up
the loose pages from the book as she stood, and then shoved them in her pocket.
She wobbled down the steps as fast as she could without losing her footing and
rolling down the steep slope. It didn’t help that every movement hurt like
hell. “Wait.” The temptress didn’t stop walking. “Contessa, please. You didn’t
answer my question about Jayden. Where is he? Did you lie about Houn?”

The witch didn’t reply.

“You said you were in my debt, remember? I just want
Jayden’s soul, and I want to go home.” Desperation cracked her voice.

Contessa paused on the final step of the temple. “Is that
so?”

Panting, Ashley nodded. “Please.” She swallowed. “Just help
me get Jayden back and send me to the middleworld. I won’t ask you for anything
else.”

Contessa turned to face her. One side of her mouth curled
into a grin. “Very well. I will get his soul from Houn and have it returned to
his body.”

Ashley couldn’t allow herself to feel any relief. She didn’t
trust Contessa. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t have much of a choice.

Contessa moved off the final step onto the dusty ground.
“But I’m afraid for you, child, your worries have just begun.”

With a slight gesture of Contessa’s hand, a root lunged from
the earth above them and curled around Ashley’s waist. Barbs stuck into her
skin, and it jerked her into the air. The sudden movement made her stomach
roll, and she screamed. On instinct, Ashley clenched her eyes shut just as her
back slammed into the soil, knocking the air out of her lungs before she was
sucked into the earth above.

Like
any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But
growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After
endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only
gotten worse.

Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When
Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal
than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary
orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley
discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of
an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of
Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get
it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last
guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When
she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin
and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers
and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance
love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the
underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince…

“Where are we going?” Ashley asked,
walking a few steps behind. Arwan slowed his pace for her much shorter
stride. She wasn’t used to hiking in the jungle, but she didn’t want to
show it. He found that a cute addition to the many things he admired
about her.

Without offering an explanation, he
grabbed a stick from the ground. If he told her where he was taking her,
it would ruin the surprise. He just hoped the creatures hadn’t taken
shelter somewhere else because of the heavy rains.

Soon they arrived at a clearing where
hundreds of tall, thin bushes with elegant purple blooms covered the
ground. Mature trees formed a canopy overhead, while gaps in the
branches allowed the sun to speckle the jungle floor with light.“I thought you would like it here.” He watched for her reaction.She inspected the space. “It’s neat.”Of course, she didn’t know why they were
really there. He watched her shift her weight. Did she lie when she said
he didn’t make her uncomfortable? It

seemed like he did. Every time he smiled at her, her cheeks flushed or her muscles tensed.Arwan gently took her hand. She allowed him to, without hesitation. It was the first time.Carefully, he guided her through the maze
of shrubs. When they reached the center, he stood in front of her and
put his lips close to her ear. “Can I hold you?” She took a small step
back. He waited for her to decide and, at the slightest nod, took her
hand. “I just want to show you something.”He slid his hand gently around her waist
and drew her close. Her chest jumped when they pressed together. He
savored the feeling of her drumming heartbeat. In fact, he could almost
hear it.She rested her hands against his chest, and he wondered if she felt his heart drumming too. “You’re blushing.”She pressed the backs of her hands on her face. “I am?”He caressed the silky curve of her cheek.
“You’re lovely when you blush.” The stick secure in his hand, he
extended it to the side. “Watch.” With a powerful strike, he whacked a
nearby bush on its base. Dozens of butterflies launched into the air.The flight of few caused a chain reaction,
and soon they blanketed the sky. Several landed in her hair and on her
arms while more flew overhead.Arwan tilted his head back to the sky.
Ashley gasped and stared at the countless array of colors gliding
overhead. A butterfly rested on his shoulder,

pumping its cobalt blue wings. She gently blew on it, her warm breath caressing his neck.His chest swelled with longing. He
clenched his jaw. Watching her lips form into a soft circle, she
continued to blow on its colorful wings. He had never wanted someone so
fiercely. She brought something out of him he couldn’t control.
Something instinctual, animalistic. He watched her lips, longing to kiss
her. To feel her mouth pressed against his. The need surged in his
chest and spread throughout his limbs. He tensed and pulled her closer.He knew he had to be gentle. As much as he
tried to conceal the need, it threatened to destroy him if he didn’t at
least try. Slowly, he leaned in to kiss her. His lips hovered above
hers. Her hot breath broke over his mouth.Ashley gasped and stepped back. Her teary eyes forced him to look away. He silently cursed himself. He’d pushed her too far.“I…” The hurt in her voice surprised him. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”Before he could respond, Ashley ran back toward the house, leaving him alone in the clearing.He watched her stumble through the trees
until she was gone. The jungle was quiet, except for the sound of
chirping birds and the rustling of lemurs in the trees.He turned, balling his fists. What the
hell was he thinking? He’d known that if he tried to kiss her, it would
push her away. He should have shown more restraint.

Each of his steps pounded against the
jungle floor. The birds’ chirps ceased, and the lemurs took quiet refuge
in the branches. When he escaped the maze of bushes, he charged his
fist into the trunk of a mature tree, spitting layers of bark and
redwood in every direction.”

A long time
enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa began her
writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative
writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper,
she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve
into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.

Since
then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to
central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie
of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by
her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped
foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S.
states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is
anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will
continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories
will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

December & Janaury's Reviews

November's Reviews

August's Reviews

October's Reviews

September's Reviews

Up Coming Reviews

Hits All Around The Globe

See What I'm Up To On Goodreads

Addicted Readers Is On Instagram

Tour Stops Here June 29th

Tour Stops Here September 29th

Disclaimer

Addicted Readers receives ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies) from authors and publishers in exchange for an honest review. No compensation of any kind is exchanged. And every opinion express is my own and is not influenced in any way.